CNO

CNO is an acronym with multiple meanings in different fields. In the military, it most often refers to the Chief of Naval Operations in the United States. In healthcare, it stands for Chief Nursing Officer, the senior nursing executive. In astrophysics, CNO denotes the carbon–nitrogen–oxygen cycle, a catalytic hydrogen-burning process in stars.

The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) is the highest-ranking officer in the U.S. Navy and serves as the service's senior military adviser to the Secretary of the Navy and the President. The CNO is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and helps shape strategy, policy, and budget. The office is usually held by a four-star admiral and is based at the Pentagon. The CNO oversees Navy readiness, operations, logistics, and plans, coordinating with other services on joint missions.

The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) is the executive responsible for nursing practice and patient care quality in hospitals and health systems. Core duties include establishing nursing standards, managing staffing and professional development, overseeing patient safety initiatives, and collaborating with medical leadership. The CNO typically reports to the CEO or COO and leads nursing administration, education, and research functions. The role generally requires registered nursing licensure and relevant advanced clinical or administrative qualifications.

In stellar astrophysics, the CNO cycle is a hydrogen-burning catalytic process that uses carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen as catalysts to convert hydrogen into helium. It proceeds through a sequence of reactions such as 12C(p,γ)13N, 13N(β+)13C, 13C(p,γ)14N, 14N(p,γ)15O, and 15N(p,α)12C. The cycle dominates energy production in more massive stars (above about 1.3 solar masses) and is highly sensitive to temperature; in smaller stars, the proton–proton chain is more important. The CNO cycle also affects neutrino production and stellar evolution.